Look up at the night sky in the Northern Hemisphere from October to March, and (weather-permitting) you can catch a glimpse of Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters. As well as being an excellent example of an asterism (see also: the “Summer Triangle“), this cluster of stars serves as the inspiration for what could […]
This Pill Is Actually A Tiny Printer That Repairs Internal Injuries Using Biocompatible Ink
Some of us still remember when fax machines were the height of technology, so it’s safe to say this one blew our minds a little bit. Scientists have developed a pill-sized bioprinter, designed to be swallowed and then to use “living” ink to repair damage inside the body. When it’s done its job, you simply […]
“This Is Amazing”: Scientists Have Found Evidence Of A Long-Lost World Deep Within The Earth
We all go through an awkward phase in our youth, and most of us hope all evidence of it is lost. Our planet is no exception – but as a new study has discovered, Earth’s major makeover wasn’t totally enough to cover up its past. It’s “maybe the first direct evidence” of preserved materials from […]
From The Shiniest World To Lava And Eternal Darkness, These Are The Weirdest Known Planets
Just a few weeks ago, we crossed the significant milestone of 6,000 known exoplanets. The counter keeps getting higher, and there are 8,000 more candidates waiting for confirmation. In the decades since the first detection of a world beyond the Solar System, we have learned that the universe is a lot more varied and extreme […]
Do Sharks Have Bones?
No, sharks do not have bones. Their skeletons are made of cartilage, the same flexible, “rubbery” material found in human ears and noses. Unlike bone, which is a rigid, mineralized tissue rich in calcium phosphate, cartilage is made mostly of water and protein collagen, making it lighter, flexible, and less rigid. Bonelessness is a defining […]
The Zombie Awakens: A Volcano Is Showing “First Signs” Of Unrest After 700,000 Years Of Quiet
After millions of years of peace, an idle volcano is showing its first signs of volcanic unrest. The summit of Taftan has become swollen and bloated, indicating that the pressure of magma and hot gas is increasing within its bowels. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to […]
Two Of The World’s Biggest Earthquakes Seem To Be Synched Together
Residents of the US’s West Coast have long feared “The Big One” – the apparently inevitable massive earthquake that will one day hit where the Pacific tectonic plate meets its North American neighbor. Well, we’ve got good news and bad news. The good: according to a new paper, that expectation may be unrealistic. The bad: […]
California Has A New State Snake, And It’s A 1.6-Meter-Long Giant
It’s a hiss-toric time for the giant garter snake (Thamnophis gigas), as this wetland-dwelling reptile just became California’s state snake, a designation that’s hoped to bring more awareness to the plight of this vulnerable species. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content. The […]
Experimental Nanoparticle “Super-Vaccines” Stop Breast, Pancreatic, And Skin Cancers In Their Tracks
A nanoparticle vaccine has shown great promise in preventing three types of cancer in mice, as well as stopping tumors from spreading when they were exposed to cancerous cells. Cancer vaccines have moved from the sci-fi dream realm into actual scientific possibility within just a few short decade. We’re not just talking about the HPV […]
New Nightmare Fuel Unlocked: Watch The First Known Capture Of A Shrew By A False Widow Spider
The noble false widow spider (Steatoda nobilis) is an invasive species that has come to populate much of Europe, western Asia, as well as North and South America. It was first formally described in 1875. The spider possesses a neurotoxin in its venom which, as well as giving humans a nasty bite, can allow it […]
Peculiar Glow In The Milky Way Might Be Dark Matter Signature
Looking towards the central region of the Milky Way, there is an unexpected surplus in the most powerful light that exists: gamma rays. The source of this gamma-ray excess is uncertain. Two hypotheses have been put forth. One possibility is that dark matter particles collide with each other there and emit gamma rays. Alternatively, known […]
“I Was Scared To Death”: Missouri’s Great Cobra Scare Of 1953 Was Eventually Solved After 35 Years
As the summer of 1953 drew to a close, Springfield, Missouri, was terrorized by a gang of cobras. Although it’s described today as “the oddest and most hilarious” story in the city’s history, the incident sparked several months of panic and confusion at the time. It took over 35 years to solve, but the cause […]
Two Spacecraft To Fly Through Comet 3I/ATLAS’s Ion Tail – Will They Be Able To Catch Something?
Comets tend to have two tails. One is known as the dust tail, and it tends to be more curved, while the other, known as the ion or plasma tail, is straighter, pointing away from the Sun. The tails can also be long, with ion tails often extending for hundreds of millions of kilometers. We […]
Pioneering Heavy Water Detection Suggests Earth’s Water Might Be Older Than The Sun
The origin of water on Earth is a complex affair. Was it trapped in the rocks that formed our planet or was it brought by comets and asteroids afterwards? We do not know for sure, but we can move the question even further. Did the water form with the Sun and the planet, or is […]
PhD Students’ Groundbreaking New Technique Rescues JWST’s Highest Resolution Data
A problem with JWST’s infrared camera detector causes light to bleed from one pixel to another, undermining the quality of its images on some categories of targets. However, work led by two PhD students has provided a solution, which is already being used to multiply the data available from some observations previously considered disappointing. It’s […]
Popcorn-Like Parasites And Weird Worms Among 14 New Species Discovered In The World’s Oceans
Popcorn-like parasites, ghostly crustaceans, and creepy worms are among the 14 new species that have recently been found in the world’s oceans. Scientists estimate there are around 2 million living marine species, although just a tiny fraction of those have been officially named and described. In a push to close this knowledge gap, researchers have […]
Poem From 1181 CE Cairo Appears To Reference A Rare Galactic Supernova
A study looking at ancient texts may have found evidence of a galactic supernova in a poem praising Saladin, the first sultan of Egypt and Syria, written between December 1181 and May 1182 CE. In October 1604, astronomer and mathematician Johannes Kepler spotted a new star in the sky and began tracking it. Over the […]
With “Iridescent Live Colors”, Newly Discovered Beautiful Dwarfgoby Lives Up To Its Name (Mostly)
Take a dip under the waves and you never know what you might discover. From dancing sea pigs to manta rays deep-diving, the world’s oceans hold all kinds of surprises. For researchers off the coast of Papua New Guinea, it was the discovery of a shimmering new fish species: Eviota bella. The rest of this […]
“Anti-Tail” And Odd 594-Kilometer Feature Found On Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS By Keck Observatory
Astronomers analyzing observations of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS using the W. M. Keck Observatory have discovered further unusual features of our third interstellar visitor, and confirmed the presence of a rare “anti-solar tail”. On July 1, 2025, astronomers at the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) spotted an object making its way through our Solar System. […]
Why Do We Call It A “Hamburger” When It Doesn’t Contain Ham?
The origin of the word “hamburger” has very little to do with pork (unless you’re eating a particularly poor-quality “beef” patty). Instead, it traces back to the bustling German port city of Hamburg. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content. Nestled in the […]
